Steel Construction Vol 40 no 6 - International Steel Structures | Page 22

SAISC INDUSTRY NEWS By Kendal Hunt First Cut: A cut above the rest for 60 years and a laser-sharp vision for the future “We will not sell a machine unless we have the factory-trained technicians to support the customer after the sale.” Contact details: Steve van Wyk [phone] [email protected] 60 seconds make up a minute and 60 minutes an hour. One might ask what 60 years would comprise. To First Cut, a leading South African manufacturer and distributor of capital equipment, cutting consumables and precision measuring tools to a broad range of industry sectors – from metal and fabrication to meat and maritime – 60 years represents far more than merely existing or the elapse of time. Rather, 60 years represents a dynamic journey of courage and endeavour, openness and transparency, innovation and unmatched service. It is these qualities which have seen the company grow successfully from a small blade-sharpening business for the timber industry in Cape Town, to a market leader providing total cutting solutions to an enviable portfolio of customers, with a nationwide footprint and staff of 240 people. ABOVE LEFT: CEO Ian McCrystal (right) and Managing Director Andrew Poole (left). BELOW LEFT: First Cut service department technicians, Burckhard Neumann and Donald Cawood with a Bystronic ‘Plug and Play’ Xpert 40 bending machine. 20 Steel Construction Vol. 40 No. 6 2016 Today, the company is led by the Managing Director Andrew Poole and CEO Ian McCrystal. Asked about the success of First Cut, McCrystal explains that the company’s remarkable growth is largely due to bold strategic decisions made at certain milestones and inflection points in First Cut’s history. “In 1998, one of these key strategic decisions was the vertical integration of an import operation with a local manufacturing company. In 2002, these two companies merged to form First Cut. Central to this deal was the negotiation of an agreement with Neill Tools UK, to manufacture their products under licence in South Africa. This involved getting two competing suppliers to collaborate in the South African market – a bold move which required vision and open-mindedness from all concerned. This paid off and today, through First Cut, each of these companies has grown its respective local market share exponentially; and First Cut has customers in a broad range of vertical industries,” he explains. Since then, the consumables division has pioneered innovation in the business, and provided the foundation for First Cut’s ensuing diversification and continued success.